Suddenly, I Became a Slime

"Ah, this is amazing... but I can't explain it."

Splat... Splat.

A soft, squishy sound echoed as if something gelatinous was moving across the ground.

If one were to listen closely, they might think it was the jelly girl approaching. But there were far too many of them to be just her.

It was unclear when they had gotten so close, but the sticky noises now surrounded Kim Cheonsu and Hwangbo Yul from all directions.

It seemed nearly impossible for the two to escape, especially after what they had just seen on the screen. Though now, the screen’s image had degenerated into static, or perhaps it had broken altogether.

The two stood back-to-back, weapons aimed, their expressions grim. The sheer number of sounds made it feel like they could hit something no matter where they aimed—and that wasn’t a comforting thought.

Kim Cheonsu wiped cold sweat from his brow, his expression resigned.

What happened to 7496-KR?

...They wouldn’t make it back, would they? If he had known it would come to this, he would have tried something, anything.

He thought of Han Seori, left behind in the lab, and his junior, Yang Hana, who he worried about endlessly. Lastly, he recalled the jelly girl, who had flailed helplessly on the screen earlier.

When she had cut down enemies with ease, he hadn’t thought much of it. But now that things had escalated, he felt an undeniable pang of regret.

Perhaps this was the price for exploiting her so easily.

As such thoughts flashed through Kim Cheonsu’s mind like a life review, Hwangbo Yul, who was behind him, removed something from a device that had been observing the jelly girl.

She tapped him on the back.

“Ack!?”

“…I think I know what you’re thinking, but there’s something more urgent right now.”

“…Yes?”

With a faint smile, she handed him the storage device she had taken. Kim Cheonsu recognized it immediately, his face a mix of disbelief and apprehension. Her firm nod confirmed his suspicion.

“I’ll try to force open a way back. Take this and return. Someone needs to report what happened here.”

“….”

Her resolute tone left him utterly flustered. It wasn’t just because he had been prepared to die here; it was also because he had never expected her to act like this.

Kim Cheonsu hesitated briefly, then shook his head and handed the storage device back to her.

“You’ve been here longer than I have. You have a better chance of making it back.”

With that, he picked up an explosive from a pile of equipment and muttered softly.

Hwangbo Yul, her expression conflicted, bit her lip before speaking.

“You… and 7496-KR were better people—and anomalies—than I thought.”

“Haha…”

Kim Cheonsu gave an awkward laugh as he adjusted his grip on the explosive. At least he got to hear something nice from a beautiful woman before dying. Not bad.

...Still, he hadn’t expected things to end like this.

Just as the two were about to take action, a wet splattering noise emerged from the darkness, and figures hidden in the shadows began to appear.

“…Huh?”

“…?”

Kim Cheonsu made a dumbfounded sound. What he saw defied his expectations.

If the jelly girl had lost and her opponent was advancing, he had assumed they’d be under attack by filthy, discolored toads, just like the ones on the screen earlier.

But what stood before them now was… round and blue. Smooth, soft, and shimmering.

It was like looking at the jelly girl herself.

As the two hesitated, reminded of the jelly girl, the blue masses crawled out of the darkness and surrounded them completely.

“This isn’t good.”

“…Doesn’t look like we’re getting out of this, huh?”

The scene—a writhing mass of jelly—brought to mind the word “swarming.”

The two tightened their grip on their weapons, eyes fixed on the gelatinous creatures. Though the forms resembled the jelly girl, they couldn’t shake the thought that something might go wrong.

Hwangbo Yul had studied records of the jelly girl, while Kim Cheonsu had seen her directly. Their caution wasn’t unwarranted.

However, the approaching jellies didn’t seem hostile. The round creatures stopped in place and swayed gently in the breeze, like a peaceful lake’s surface.

While the two stood frozen, trying to make sense of the situation…

Swish... Swish.

The jelly wall parted, revealing the jelly girl with a sheepish expression.

She wasn’t alone. Tiny jelly creatures, resembling her in miniature, accompanied her. Looking closely, the same forms were scattered atop the surrounding mass.

“…Seems like she’s alright.”

“…Would’ve been nice if she told us earlier.”

“She can’t talk, you know.”

“….”

The two lowered their weapons as the jelly girl, fiddling with the antenna on her head, approached them.

When I was a child, a game used to be popular at school. It was a role-playing game involving hamburgers, where the loser of rock-paper-scissors would act as the bread, the patty, and so on. Being at the top was a lot of fun. Watching the kids below struggle and squirm was amusing in its way.

...Looking back, it seems like a pretty sadistic game.

The memory of being at the bottom reinforces that thought. While it felt like the most terrible game in the world when you were the one squished, the idea of “I won’t be the only one suffering” kept the game going.

So why am I bringing this up?

Because my current state—melting the toad’s core—is exactly like being the bottom bun of a hamburger.

The individual toads may not be heavy, but their seemingly endless numbers have created a weight that’s impossible to ignore.

If I had been in my human form, I might have been crushed flat, like a squashed patty.

But just before I turned into a jelly pancake, I felt the toad’s core dissolve completely.

At the same time, my body, flattened and stretched thin, began to bubble and swell.

As if on cue, the toads pinning me down started to dissolve, oozing away like melted butter. Everything around me began to flow as though someone had spilled a bucket of paint.

The surroundings melted into a surreal scene of abstract art. With the pressure easing off, I realized the situation was finally resolving itself.

Whatever ability this core had contained, it seemed to be the solution to the anomaly.

For the first time, I felt light-hearted enough to joke to myself: “Han Seori would probably find this fascinating.”

As the moonlight began to filter through the dissolving swamp, I rose slowly. Bits of sticky jelly fell from my body and merged with the liquid remnants around me.

Was it truly over?

Although some remnants lingered, the swamp’s landscape was changing. Familiar structures began to emerge—a rural house here, a tree there—as the dense jungle faded away.

For now, I could only hope this was a sign of resolution.

Still, where should I go next?

Without the guidance of the knowledge pouch, I had no sense of direction. Reflecting on my situation, I realized I had no clear way of locating Kim Cheonsu and Hwangbo Yul.

Lost in thought, I absentmindedly wobbled, releasing faint bubbles of jelly. Then, something caught my eye: a recognition tag floating within my body.

It grounded me. The sight brought a mix of comfort and determination. Though incomplete, it was something tangible.

If nothing else, I could collect these tags—a small way of ensuring those lost here were remembered.

I sighed, shaking my head. But before I could move, the jelly remnants around me stirred.

They shifted, coalescing, and began to spit out recognition tags, clothes, belongings, and even corpses resting atop roots.

What’s going on?

Though eerie, the gesture felt oddly kind. If the jelly remnants could do this, could they also lead me to Kim Cheonsu and Hwangbo Yul?

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the jellies bubbled with renewed vigor as if eager to help.

Well, that settles it.

Guided by the lively remnants, I moved forward, watching them gather the scattered belongings and carry them behind me.

How convenient.

Was this ability granted by the toad’s core? If so, I should’ve consumed it sooner.

Chuckling, I continued splashing through the remains of the swamp, and soon enough, I saw two familiar figures in the distance: Kim Cheonsu and Hwangbo Yul.

They appeared tense, ready to fight. Quickening my pace, I moved toward them.

Despite the surreal nature of the situation, reuniting with them felt like the most urgent thing.

Please support the series on NovelUpdates